Heartfelt thanks to Diane for the following new information:

Suggested edit: Because Lydia Cook was listed as married at her death. I looked for George's death and place. Here is what I found. There is no memorial made for him there. Hope it helps. Also there is a child buried here with George's exact name, he may have married again.

Name: George Nickels
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 20 Feb 1960
Event Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States
Address: 2823 W Diversey Av
Gender: Male
Age: 91
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Occupation: Cook
Birth Date: 28 Jun 1868
Birthplace: , , Georgia
Funeral Home: Westfall Funeral Home
Cemetery: Graceland
Chicago, Illinois
Informant's Name: Peggy Gulhausen
Entry Number: 10431
Regards, Diane
Contributor: DMWK (47295617)

Hello,

Thank you for contacting Graceland Cemetery.

Our records indicate that George Nickels (age 91) was cremated at Graceland on 02-23-1960.

His ashes were shipped on 02-24-1960 to a George A. Smith at 5305 Greenwood, Seattle 3 Washington.

Westfall Funeral Home is listed as the funeral home that arranged for Mr. Nickels's final disposition.

Golden Age Home is listed as Mr. Nickels's last known location prior to his death.

James Hamilton Nicholas' will leaves $300 to "adopted son", George W. Nicholas

The illegitimate son of Martha Ann Bennett Westberry and James Hamilton Nicholas (Nichols). The half brother of John Walter Westberry; Lemuel Westberry; Justina "Tiny" Westberry Harper; Frances Westberry and Mary Westberry. This son was born to Martha Ann Bennett Westberry after her husband's (William Charlton Westberry) death in the Civil War. He was given the name Henry Westberry. His name is found listed as a brother to Justina Tiny Westberry Harper in her obituary in the Jesup Sentinel Wayne County, Georgia on April 7, 1949:

...survived by two brothers: Lem Westberry, "George H. Nichols, Chicago..."

There is also another document regarding the Interest in the Estate of William Charlton Westberry:

Holmesville, Georgia

Martha Ann Westberry (Grantor) to Henry Bennett (trustee) Interest in Estate on June 7, 1869. In consideration of natural love and affection has and bears to her son Henry Westberry, $5 paid by Henry Bennett in trust for Henry Westberry until he is 20 years of age, all my part and interest in the estate of Charlton Westberry, deceased. Book F Page 563.

It appears that Henry was adopted by James and Fanny Nichols and given the name George Nichols.

G.W. (George Westberry) Nichols is found living in the household of James Bennett (Son of Henry and brother to Martha Bennett Westberry). Henry is listed a a "relative" in the census.

In the 1870 census of Appling County, Georgia, George Nichols is living with his adoptive parents. In the 1880 Appling County census, he is no longer in the household of his adoptive parents and is found in the household of James and Eliza Ann Bennett (James Bennett would be Martha Ann Bennett Westberry's brother) in Pierce County, Georgia.

Henry Westberry (aka George Nichols) would eventually marry a woman from Philadelphia named Julia Bates, and move to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had a daughters named Evelyn (became an actress), Elsie (actress) and Anne Nichols(11/26/1891-9/15/1966) who would become famous with her play "Abie's Irish Rose."

There are family stories of Henry (George) visiting his relatives in Georgia after his daughter became famous.

There is a written story by Lessie Harper Conger's husband, Washington Conger that describe's George visiting his sister (Lessie's mother, Justina Tiny Westberry Harper) in Gardi, Georgia after his daughter (Anne Nichols) became famous after writing "Abie's Irish Rose." Tiny's obituary also lists him as her brother. However it is now known that he was only a half brother to his siblings.
On his youngest daughter, Elsie Nichol's, passport, it lists her father as George Nichol and living in Chicago (address unknown). It appears tha George Nichols was renting in Chicago. One gets the feeling he was estranged from his family. Anne Nichols, his famous daughter, never spoke about her past nor very much about her parentsAnne Nichols once described her father in the following way:

"My father was a lawyer, handsome, eloquent, a born orator. I never knew a man who could sway people as he could. Yet, he never really used his talents; never accomplished anything worthwhile."

Another tidbit of information:

"...my father was making one of his periodical moves...this time it was to Brooklyn..."

And, as it stated in his sister's (Justina Westberry Harper) obituary of 1949 that her brother "George Henry Nichols" survived her and lived in Chicago, Anne Nichols states the following: "Meanwhile, my migratory father had moved again, this time from Brooklyn to Chicago. So I lived in a famous Broadway theatrical boarding house- since torn down- known as the Bartholdi InnThe following is from an email from Elizabeth Boyd dated January 12, 2009:
George W. Nichols, born 1869, was the illegitimate son of James Hamilton Nicholsborn 1832 Barnwell SC and Mrs. Martha Ann Bennett Westberry. Both families lived in the Southern District, Appling County Georgia before and after the Civil War. James was discharged from Co K 54th Georgia Regt Georgia with a disability on 18 April 1862. The same Regiment that William Charlton Westberry enlisted in, but did not return home. His wife, (Sarah Frances Hopps) "Fannie, aware of what had happened, went down there and made Mrs. Bennett (daughter of Westberry Bennett) nurse the baby boy and then when George was weaned at one year of age took the child and raised him with her own. James Nicholas undoubtedly knew Mrs. Westberry lost her husband in the Civil War. George Nichols was the father of Anne Nichols.
I believe Anne Nichols was the great-granddaughter of Jonathan Nicholas b 1787 in Morris, New Jersey and Susan Hardy b 1804 in Barnwell SC. Jonathan was well educated and though listed in Census Records and business papers variously as a hatter, merchant, and farmer he was also a teacher wherever he lived. His daughters born to the first wife Rachel Blackburn of Edgefield SC and his daughters born to his second wife, Susan Hardy all learned to read and write before the Civil War. This was remarkable as most women at that time, in the South were illiterate. I believe that he taught at the first school in Homesville area of Appling County or perhaps tutored in his home. I conclude that literacy is a powerful thing and that Jonathan would be proud of his great granddaughter.

Mr. Nicholas died about 1855. His widow lived about thirty years after his death. She was one of the charter members of Goose Creek Baptist Church and donated the land for the first church building. It was located about 1 and 3/4 miles west of Jesup. She lived a quiet and wholesome life until her death. Source: Jesup Public Library. In the 1870 Appling County Georgia census one can find George listed as 1 year old. The Nichols family already had a son named, Henry who was two years old which is probably the reason they renamed Henry "George." He has a sister, Cariabella, who is listed as 8 months old. Since George was 1 year old and Cariabella was 8 months old, this further proves that this George was the son of Martha Ann Bennett Westberry.It is unknown at this time where George is buried. It is assumed that he died in Illinois.

SECOND MARRIAGE

Lydia Cook Kentopf Nickels (Nichols)was born in Canada. Her first marriage was to Edward Kentopf and they were the parents of four daughters: Esther H; Mildred; Mabel and Margaret. In 1912, the Kentopfs moved from New York State to Chicago, Illinois. Lydia's first husband died leaving her a widow. She met George Henry Westberry Nichols (Nickels) in Wisconsin where she owned a successful restaurant. George was married first to Julia Ann Bates and they had three daughters: Evelyn, Elsie and Anne Nichols (famous playwright and author of Abie's Irish Rose). George divorced his first wife in 1920. According to his first wife's passport at that time, she stated that they were divorced and that George was in Milwaukee Wisconsin. It is believed that George married the widow, Lydia Cook Kentopf, in Chicago circa 1930. According to a relative of Lydia, her grandmother Dorothy's parents (Mildred and Conrad) told her that George Nichols was the father of Anne Nichols, author and playwright. According to the relative's mother, Lydia Cook Nichols is buried at the Washelli Cemetery in Seattle Washington and this has been verified. George Nichols (Nickels) is not buried next to his second wife or even in the same cemetery. There is a 1930 census record of Spokane Washington, George and his new wife are listed as restaurant owners but the name is spelled incorrectly on ancestry.com as "Nachels." Lydia's relative states: "The info matches everything that I know about Lydia and George (where their parents were from, birth place/dates, age difference (7 years) etc. Also, I know that they had a restaurant on First Avenue downtown together. It says in this document that they were restaurant owners. I did notice that they were in Spokane in 1930 which is 4 hours east of Seattle. The location of Henry Westberry Nichol's grave is unknown at the current time. Thanks to Elizabeth M. for the above information.